LAPD's Beck joins other chiefs to say Arizona immigration law could cripple law enforcement

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck joined other law enforcement leaders in Washington on Wednesday to slam Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration, saying it could cripple police work and drive a wedge between officers and the communities they are trying to protect.

Beck has emerged as a leading critic of a new law that will make it a state crime to be in Arizona illegally and will require police to check suspects for immigration paperwork. In a conference call with journalists after he and other police officials met with U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder, Beck said “legislation like this inhibits us from doing our jobs” and will dissuade immigrants from coming forward as victims and witnesses.

“The fear of the police already inhibits immigrants from coming forward to a certain extent,” he said. “But if you add this piece you increase the reluctance tenfold.”

“People should remember that undocumented immigrants are witnesses in all kinds of crime and this does not just affect them,” Beck said. “If people don’t come forward to help the police solve and protect crime, no matter what their status, then we are doomed to failure. It threatens to destroy a lot of the work that has been done.”

Beck said that his officers are guided by a different set of rules than the ones laid out in the Arizona law. For more than three decades the LAPD has followed a policy that prohibits officers from initiating contact with someone solely to determine whether he or she is in the country legally.

Beck and police chiefs from other cities, including Phoenix, Tucson, Philadelphia and Houston, told Holder they hoped for a federal solution to the immigration problem.

“The primary job of a local police department is not the enforcement of immigration status,” Beck said. “The primary job of law enforcement is to protect the public and keep us free from crime.”

During the hourlong meeting, Holder told the officials that a federal challenge to Arizona’s law may be imminent, according to participants.

“He did say that the Justice Department is seriously considering action and that it could be done soon,” said Chuck Wexler, the director of the Police Executive Research Forum.

Holder has previously expressed dismay over Arizona’s new legislation, calling it “an unfortunate one.... It is, I fear, subject to potential abuse," Holder said.

Justice officials have said that they may challenge the law on two grounds – for subjecting people to racial profiling and for usurping the federal government's power to enforce immigration law.

-- Kate Linthicum

Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Derekgr]

Illegal immigration enforcement is not the duty of the Police to enforce but the Federal Government responsibility which is why there are the Border Patrol agency. Laws like Arizona seek to usurp the Federal Government power to enforce illegal immigration by means of racial profiling.

[Tina]

OMG! Did any of them read the law. This is something that all law enforcement should have been doing. This law does not allow the police to stop for the purpose of checking their residency. If they are stopped, they had to be committing a crime. The cheif talks about how this will prohibit illegals from coming forward as witnesses. Duh! It's because it's most of them committing the crimes.

[mjg dmd]

GO ARIZONA....!!!! Way to take the bull by the horns and make things happen, considering Obama is too busy trying be Mr. Nice Guy with illegals and minorities, alike.

[James]

The LAPD was a joke long before OJ and still is! Their opinion the matter is ridiculous. Who cares what they think, and who asked them any way? They should worry about their own issues

[Chris Brizzolara]

I do not understand what business it is of the LAPD Chief of Police to criticize the law of a different state that has nothing to with his duties to effectively manage the LAPD. He needs to focus on his job and clean up the rampant corruption and retaliation against the line officers in his organization who report the illegal activities and misconduct of their superiors. The history of Latinos in making Los Angeles a vibrant, culturally diverse, and interesting City is undisputed, and I for one appreciate and am thankful for the contributions of Latinos and Latino traditions and culture, including family values, hard work, and good humor and polite manners, that are so valuable to our City. However, there is no excuse for allowing crimininals of any race, national origin, or ethnicity to jump back and forth across the border to commit crimes in Southern California (including the members some of the largest criminal cartels in Los Angeles), and have our police department not to be able to document their legal right to be here in the first place. Simply asking someone for a driver's license or other document evidencing their legal right to be in the United States is not "profiling" or "racist" - I have travelled extensively throughout my life in Mexico and other countries, where I have been repeatedly asked to present documents demonstrating my legal right to be present in the countries, and at no time did I believe that I was the victim of "profiling" or "racism". I can assure you from the treatment I have personally observed that others were subjected to that were unable to present documents to Mexican authorities evidencing their legal right to be present in Mexico you would be facing immediate legal problems and removal from the country, and any claims of "profiling" and "racism" would be given short shrift by Mexican authorities.

[E.S]

Well, I never thought I would ever see the day when the police would advocate any laws being broken. Wow, and someone called California a police state. Those days are long gone my friend. Mexico's turmoil began just like this.

[Colfax]

I hereby call for Charlie Beck's ouster as Chief of the LAPD. He's either disdainful of the law, pandering to Latinos, or both. In any case, he's unfit for the office of police chief.

[Ron]

Look Vato you are required to uphold the Federal Laws of this country. Since when did Police Chiefs have the idea they are the law. Shut up and let your officers enforce the law. NOW!

[emilio]

The employers of these illegals are also equally guilty. If these employers are ignored the whole argument about illegal workers is just B.S.

[John]

To say that this is going to have a effect on there informants is a load of crap. If you are a illegal immigrant you are going to be afraid of getting deported if a cop starts questioning you no matter the case.

[Cloudia]

Smart guy -- he's absolutely right. People who disagree with the person who knows the situation on the ground, please submit facts to support your (often racist) arguments.

[j-dub]

I'm glad I don't work for this clown of a police chief. What part of illegal doesn't he understand. I think I'll move to Arizona.

[Eddie Barker]

Ha, ha, racial profilers. The police chief says its a bad law. So all of you haters think you know more than the police chief now...

[william a derr]

Read the Arizona law please, if one does its clear that the critics have not &
therefore no not of what they speak

[Michael]

Joel Rubin stands as still another example of why I turn to the Times for news less and less frequently. Reporters should report, and check their opinions at the door. It is clear in this interview and from the tone of his writing that he opposes the Arizona law. When I want opinion, I turn to the opinion page. When I want news--the facts--I should be able to get them on the news page.
Not at the Times...

[Joe]

Hey buddy, unless you're gonna tell Obama to seal the border so we don't end up with all of Mexico's criminals, just shut up. Stop criticizing something that's none of your business and tell the federal government to do their job and seal the border. What a despicable jerk.

At least we know in LA when an illegal commits a crime they won't be turned over to INS. LAPD will dump them back onto our streets, where they may go and murder someone the next day, as Jamiel Shaw II's family found out.

[James Johnson]

Have you asked Beck if he has at least read the law... unlike Holder??

[Howard - Ret. LAFD]

I suggest anyone really interested in this subject look up WSBTV - 2 in Atlanta. They have a two parter titled "Investigates US border security". The reporter goes to Arizona to see what the stink is about. What he finds is too few trying to do too much - many more get in than get caught. That isn't the worst part - the surprising number of OTMs (other than Mexican) especially from the countries that don't like us and send radicals here to do no good. The kind that have no intention of cutting grass. The reporters copies of documents showing where those caught were from was shown to our illustrious Security head hog and he had never seen such paperwork. Maybe that is what prompted our President to order military backup into action.

[Jennifer Littrell]

I came across a good debating resource that allows you to post comments and cast votes either for or against the New Immigration Law of Arizona without prior registration. I really recommend it: http://www.civiltalks.com

[Ree]

Let's be honest. Political leaders in CA have no choice but to oppose the AZ law. They know that if AZ actually begins enforcing this law, there will be a flood of illegal immigrants to "friendly" states. Sorry CA & NM. So far that looks like you. Right now, CA can't afford to pay for the extra social services required to absorb tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands illegal immigrants.

[jonathan s mathosian]

Arizona is trying to solve a problem....hamhandedly

[maggie]

Your statement that the Az. law will increase the reluctance of undocumented immigrants  to  come forward  when they are witnesses to all kinds of crime doesn't make sense Chief Beck.  
Just who is creating these "all kinds of crime"?  Undocumented immigrants for one; drug and immigrant smugglers; users who are hooked on those drugs and commit crimes to support their habits; undocumented immigrants who flee their country for the benefits of living in the USA and who have to live in poverty situations because they don't learn English, have to work at menial jobs due to their illegal status which dooms them and their children to substandard lives; increases the crime rates, soaring medical and welfare costs placed on the legal taxpayers and the total frustrations of the legal immigrants and the legal residents.
Let's stop the bleeding heart bull-illegal means "against the law" and you and all the other law enforcement personnel should do your duties and uphold the law.  Perhaps if you and other bleeding hearts would uphold the law like Joe Arpaio the crime rates would decline tremendously as would the burden on the legal taxpayers.  

[Sue Weav]

@grabit - " Neither Chief Beck nor anyone else in California law enforcement has said they won't cooperate with federal authorities in the event federal authorities arrest someone under this scenario. "

You have a judge that just yesterday, upheld an appeal concerning the fact that a sheriff in California, did NOT follow this law, did NOT cooperate, and hand an illegal over to federal authorities, and he then went out and murdered someone. So yes, several people in law enforcement have NOT followed your own law.

[Evelyn]

Do you support SB 1070? Do you oppose SB 1070? Will the boycotts cause more problems than the bill will solve, or are they just empty threats? Make your voice heard at Arizona Immigration Reform Debate site http://immigration.civiltalks.com/

[Emma]

And what about American dream? America is a land of opportunity.....It was built according to this concept! However after a chain of such laws it can be transfered to a military state where citizens are intimidated by the police...
I just came across the amazing site which highlights the whole situation about Arizona. Guys, you should see the comments - lol! Jump on a bandwagon - voice your opinion at
http://immigration.civiltalks.com/